Double Trouble
by mysticalflute
Summary: Snow and Belle have a plan - a double date! What could go wrong? Well...


Author's Note: Just a little something fun I've had an idea about for a couple weeks now. Please note that the only canon things in here are Rumbelle and Snowing being together, and Storybrooke's existence. :-)

"Snow, I don't know if I'm comfortable with this idea."

Charming stood in front of the mirror as he adjusted the collar of his red shirt. Since Snow's return from the Enchanted Forest, she had been introduced to Belle by Red, and the two had clicked instantly over many things – most notably their experiences with Regina. Charming had been happy to see that the woman who'd been a prisoner of Regina's for two years, plus the twenty-eight they were trapped here was adjusting to life outside a cell.

Snow simply smiled and smoothed out the white sundress she was wearing. "Come on Charming… I think it's time we gave him another chance. Emma brought back the happy endings. Everything Rumpelstiltskin did was voided."

"We need to work on getting back home," Charming said, wrapping his arms around her. "Everyone is getting restless."

"Charming," Snow warned. "You've been working on getting us back there for weeks now. You're not going to get any closer if you ignore everyone and everything. We will find a way back, I promise. It was written in the Enchanted Forest, remember? We found that prophecy in the wreckage of our castle."

Charming let out a heavy sigh. "I guess… but does it have to be with him? Why not with Cinderella and Thomas?"

His wife curled into him, chuckling softly. "You know they have Alexandra to take care of, and his father is still trying to make up for what he did under the curse even though everyone has forgiven him."

"Abigail and Frederick?"

"She's pregnant Charming. Newly pregnant. Believe me when I say she won't want to go out."

Charming sighed. "Alright, alright. Fine. I'll give him a chance I guess."

Snow smiled. "Thank you, Charming."

"Anything for the Princess," Charming muttered, kissing her cheek. "You know, sometimes I don't know who is more spoiled. You or Henry."

Snow laughed. "Come on, we're going to be late."

He took her hand, the two of them leaving the small apartment she'd been forced into living in as Mary-Margaret Blanchard.

They headed off to Granny's, where they found Rumpelstiltskin and Belle just arriving as well.

"Hi Snow, Charming!" Belle said, a bright smile on her face. "You both look great!"

Snow returned the smile. "Thanks Belle. So do you."

Charming and Rumpelstiltskin, however, were all business.

"How are things going? Have you figured out the right procedure yet?" Charming asked.

"Patience, Caveman," Rumpelstiltskin said, a sly smirk on his face at the nickname for Charming. "This whole 'Light' thing is a bit new to me again. After three-hundred years of being The Dark One after all…"

The two women looked up. "Rumpelstiltskin," Belle said. "I told you not to call him names… but he is doing a good job at becoming who he was prior to his curse… I think, anyway."

"The problem is," Rumpelstiltskin said, ignoring Belle's protest of the nickname as they were seated, "finding someone with a pure enough heart with which to cast the curse. The Dark Curse was much easier. Regina's heart was twisted and mangled…" Though he would never admit to them that it was partly his fault Regina became the way she did. "…but now that everyone has been corrupt by the Dark Curse… it has become more difficult to find someone with a pure enough heart to cast something so… good."

Snow frowned, as did Charming.

Belle looked nervous about the whole thing. "What about someone back in the Enchanted-"

"Snow! Belle! What can I get for you guys?" Red asked, appearing out of nowhere. "Oh wait, dumb question. Granny's sweet tea, right Belle?"

Belle smiled and nodded.

"I'll just take water," Snow replied. Charming and Rumpelstiltskin nodded in agreement, and Red went on her way again.

"Anyway, as I was saying…" Belle replied. "What about the Enchanted Forest? That fire room… one of you can go in there and talk to Aurora, right? Maybe she and Phillip can find someone."

"It's nearly impossible Belle… in order to find someone like that, they must have been, and are currently in, some sort of immobilization curse, and not have been corrupted somehow before that curse was put into place."

"But… what about Henry?" Snow said carefully, ignoring the look she got from Charming. "Could he be… innocent enough?"

Rumpelstiltskin shrugged. "I suppose it is possible, providing that Emma and Neal agree to it… and Henry too of course." It was way too difficult to tell at this point. He really did want to go back to the Enchanted Forest though. As influential as he'd been here, this land's 'magic' had gotten stale for him.

"I do ask a favor though, for when we return to our land," Rumpelstiltskin said, leaning closer to Charming, voice lowering as Snow and Belle began their own conversation again.

Charming rolled his eyes. "What is it?"

"I want an estate. A large estate. _My_ estate back. You know, the one that was bigger than yours?" He let out a slight giggle, reminiscent of his days as the mad imp from before.

Charming grunted, but remembered the promise he and Snow made to him. "Fine. You may have your estate back."

Rumpelstiltskin grinned. "Excellent."

Belle suddenly turned to the men again, their conversation clearly over. "We were thinking…" she began, looking at Snow, as if hesitant about saying their idea.

The men raised their eyebrows. "What?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, gently urging her on.

"What about your son?" Belle asked. "Baelfire. Could he… be pure enough to cast the spell for us? After all, it doesn't require a sacrifice, just happiness and a pure heart."

"Bae?" Rumpelstiltskin repeated, his eyes widening. He had not spoken to his son in days, since the boy had returned to him, he had not been exactly happy to hear what his father had done in order to reunite them. He wanted to go back there, and the man couldn't blame him. "He won't speak with me Belle, you know that. You saw him." He had been lucky Granny was kind enough to let the now-fifteen year old stay at the inn for free.

Not that it mattered, it wasn't like they were following the rules of this world anymore. Now that they were free to use their own again.

"We will talk to him the-" Snow began.

"Well well!" another voice cut in as Red appeared with the drinks and to take their food order. Red's eyes rolled, Charming seemed frustrated, and Rumpelstiltskin's grip on the table tightened.

"What do you want, Frankie?" the imp asked, eyes looking at Doctor Whale.

"This is a funny sight!" the scientist replied, giggling, and obviously drunk. Rumpelstiltskin didn't understand why, considering the man had not been like this before the curse. "Look Jeffie! Rumpel's on a date with the Charmings!"

"Yes, and now you need to leave. We are having an important discussion that does not involve you," Snow said.

Jefferson suddenly appeared, not nearly as drunk, and grinned. "This'll be one for the record books."

"Can you just _leave_?" Charming asked.

The pouts were identical, and the quartet at the table were slightly disturbed by it.

"Are you bothering the patrons _AGAIN_?" Granny asked, her hands appearing between Jefferson's and Frankenstein's heads, grabbing their ears. "How many times do I have to tell you to leave the others alone?!" With that, and a passing smile to the double daters, she promptly dragged them out the door.

Four hamburgers were ordered, and Red left them alone as well.

"We will talk to him then. Tell him everything that is going on. Maybe he will agree to it if we make it clear that we would all be going back.. but there are many things you would have to promise him as well, Rumpelstiltskin," Snow said, nodding to Belle.

"What are you guys talking about, anyway?" Red asked, kneeling down next to the table. It was obvious she was on her break – not that she needed anything official.

"A plan," Charming said. "To get us back. If we need anything, we'll let you know."

"A plan?" Red replied, raising an eyebrow. "What do you need us to do?"

"We don't know yet."

"Red! Order up!" Hook's voice said.

Hook had gotten a job at the diner, after Rumpelstiltskin had put him under some sort of spell. Belle hadn't been happy about it, but the man had assured her it was temporary until they got back to their world… or until Rumpelstiltskin got bored.

Red sighed and stood to get the food.

"Maybe we should have chosen someplace more private," Snow said, sitting back against the booth. "To talk about a plan…" they would have called upon Red and Granny, and the dwarfs of course. They had been through so much together, it was only fair that they be involved in something like this again.

Belle shrugged. "Maybe we shouldn't have began discussing this at all."

As their food was delivered, Charming looked at the three he was with. "Let's all make a promise right now. Next time we want to talk about something like this, or even want to have another date like this, we don't do it in public."

The other three nodded. "Deal."


End file.
